The first week or two of Caraline's sweet life were very busy. Her bilireuben (jaundice) levels were high when we left the hospital and she had lost 12 ounces. We went to see Dr. Geppert the next day for a weight check and to the hospital for a blood test. No weight gain, jaundice still high. We went back the next day... same story. While we were at the hospital for the blood test, our doctor's office recieved a phone call letting them know that the results of Caraline's PKU screen were abnormal. We had to back to the doctor and find out what was going on. The PKU test screens for quite a few different disorders. It is designed to be very sensitive so that it will pick up any signs that something may be going on. Caraline's test came back positive for congenital hypothyroidism. After hearing from our doctor that CK could be mentally retarded for the rest of her life... he finally mentioned that it is very treatable. Whew! I wanted to smack him! We went back to the hospital to have more blood drawn to run more tests. Have you ever watched them draw blood from an infant? Torture. For us and CK. The tests confirmed that she did have hypothyroidism and we were immediately referred to a pediatric endocrinologist for treatment. Our appointment was the following Monday.
Some symptoms of Hypothyroidism: excessive sleeping, reduced interest in nursing, low or hoarse cry, infrequent bowel movements, exaggerated jaundice, poor muscle tone.
I could check almost all of these off. If you want to know more about Congenital Hypothyroidism.
I was so nervous to go to Cook's Children's Hospital. I didn't know what to expect. I am so thankful that Ethan was home during all of this uncertainty and all of the doctors visits! I chose to dress Caraline in a little outfit that says, "I'm a miracle". It was a sweet reminder to us and to the nurses, techs and doctors that dealt with her. I don't know if anyone noticed... but I like to think that they did.
The first thing, after registration and filling out forms, we were sent to have an ultrasound of her neck to see what the thyroid looked like or if there was even a thyroid gland present. Next, CK had to have an IV put in. The nurses were great, they wrapped her all up in this heated blanket and she slept pretty much through the whole thing. Once the line was in, we went to have x-rays of her knees. We were confused about this and after having the nurse double check, we found that they wanted to see the growth plates since the thyroid gland is essential for growth. I was glad to find out that the nurses follow all the correct protocol... which included asking me if there was any chance that I might be pregnant. Uh. No. My daughter is barely two weeks old. After x-rays we went into another smaller waiting room to wait for the test. This was the strangest part. She laid on a table like surface and the tech placed weighted pads on her to keep her still while the top part of this machine scanned her little body. We watched as this baby shaped blob appeared on the computer screen in front of the doctor. I don't remember the details, but basically, it was showing if the thyroid was working by dispersing the medication that they pumped through her IV.
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| ~ With her arm stabilized and her IV in, all wrapped in her nice warm blanket ~ (You can see how yellow she is compared to my arm) |
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| ~ Waiting to see Dr. Wilson ~ |
7/2/12 Birth Weight:7 pounds 14 ounces
7/5/12 Weight: 7 pounds 2.4 ounces
7/10/12 Weight: 7 pounds 8.7 GOING UP!!
1 month check up Weight: 8 pounds 2 ounces, Height: 20 1/2 inches, 25th percentile
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| ~ CK 1 month visit & E 3 year visit ~ |
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| ~ One Month Rocking Chair Picture ~ |
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